Innocence Lost
by Irene Claire
Summary: The father in Danny is shaken when he's injured by two teenagers at Toast's place and he has to accept that the young girl just can't be saved regardless of the traces of innocence that he thinks he still sees in her. Rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: I'm in DWOCD for a reason. Doggone bunch of enablers ya all are! And then the darn saber toothed Bunny just won't hush up sometimes. JazzieG offered her endless carrots and she HEARD about it. And of course Jlopie has a cattle prod. EEK! So quite literally, the evil bunny wrote this in place of the gentler breakfast Bunny. But it's shorter – possibly more angsty and darker than normal. Not a very happy ending either though the dear boys will always be safe (relatively speaking) in my stories. My thanks to the AWESOME beta from CinderH.**

**And it's safe to say: I ain't no doctor and don't do drugs. This is FICTION folks - read, enjoy and hopefully be entertained.**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* **

**Chapter 1**

Danny started in surprise when he felt the strong fingers grasping his own, and then awkwardly trail down to his wrist. Checking his pulse. _Gloved but for one finger_. The warm, soft leather comforted cold, clammy skin and Danny visibly relaxed.

"Steve?" He managed to croak out in a broken whisper. His eyes were growing heavy as he watched Kiki's back. But the strength of the single touch buoyed his own flagging energy. Kiki and her boyfriend were standing over the small flame again. Blackened teaspoon in hand and two syringes at the ready as they liquefied the drug. Danny was struggling to focus his eyes in the murky light of the small shed since it was only illuminated by a few small candles. His mind almost couldn't cope with the weird halo effect around Kiki's head as she bent over the flame. They'd already each 'treated' themselves so Danny wasn't sure why they were at it again so soon - and he was afraid to find out.

But he chanced a glance down through the broken slats of the old shed and saw just enough of the familiar black-gloved hand, trigger finger free for traction. "Hey .. _Steve_." Danny whispered again, surprised at the feeble tone of his own voice. He wanted to say more, but then couldn't get his mouth to work as his body began to shake. He was cold and realized blandly that he was already in shock as he managed a softly ghosted smile.

Danny's own fingers weakly fumbled and found Steve's for another brief reassuring shared pressure. And then before leaving him, Steve squeezed his wrist once again to communicate his own evident relief and then the gloved hand was gone as it wriggled back outside into the darkness where it had come from. Danny closed his eyes as he finally choked out the words he wanted to tell Steve. A warning that Kiki was barely seventeen. And her boyfriend was only about nineteen .. if that.

"Just .. just .. _kids_." Danny tried now to cough out his worried warning but Steve was already silently gone. Fading into the darkness around the small potting shed set above Toast's larger home-like hangout of sorts. And his voice just wouldn't carry as blood loss caught up to him in earnest. The SEAL wouldn't hesitate and maybe not Brent, but Kiki definitely had made a mistake. She was so small and so very young that he knew she'd made a serious mistake somewhere in her brief life. Someone had let her down along the way and she was going to pay for it. Danny was sure of that fact as he blearily watched the tiny frame of the teenage girl standing by the potter's table. And like Toast said, if she were under-age she was sure to be a runaway.

"_Mistake_ .." He tried again but his voice just wouldn't project. Vaguely from where he lay slumped against the old wooden walls of the dilapidated shed, Danny could sense Steve's stealthy movement around the one room building. Staying low, ducking where the wood was most damaged and decayed. Getting a line of sight on the two people that had essentially taken Danny hostage. Determined and likely very angry.

So when he saw the glint of the weapon through one of the thin-walled and jagged openings, Danny groaned as shook his head dismally. The harsh whisper was barely voiced as the silvery glint appeared and then disappeared through the broken slats. His partner was on the move and evaluating the best position to eliminate the threat. "No. Steve ... _don't .._ please."

He tried then to roll off the wall where he'd been casually dumped when Brent forced him into the shed. And Danny hadn't had too much choice about it since Brent had daringly indicated that he'd shoot Kiki if the cop didn't do as he demanded. Kiki's back was to them as she raced up the short path to the potting shed. She hadn't seen the evil in Brent's eye or heard the whispered threat.

"_Shot you once. I'll do __**her**__ next if you don't keep going_." And then he stopped and purposefully aimed the weapon at the girl's back. Jokingly pointed it and made a clicking sound with his tongue. But even now, Danny didn't want to necessarily warn the two about what was coming; he just wanted to distract them _enough_. Give Steve enough of a chance to see they were just _kids_ who had made a stupid mistake and to not burst into the shed with guns blazing. But he'd lost a lot of blood from the bullet wound and the pain flared in earnest as he tried to move. Gripping his leg with both hands as pain rolled through him, Danny groaned while the nausea surged and he squeezed his eyes tightly shut. He was shaking more now and had only managed to slide down the wall into a deeper uncomfortable slouch. His pants were soaked through and even with the belted tourniquet, the floor was becoming stained with a darker red smear.

Coughing and breathing heavily as he tried to keep the nausea and pain both at bay, Danny only opened his eyes when Kiki moved aside and he heard Brent laughing at him. Through his hazy vision, Danny's thoughts changed course completely as the older nineteen year old drew the heroin into the syringe while Kiki's shaking hand held the spoon.

"You're joining us. It will make you feel so much better. Kiki will do the honors though." The words were slurred by now, dreamy with maybe a touch of hostility aimed at Toast. And the expression was cold and distant as Brent loaded the first and many times used vial with heroin and mumbled the next strange comment as he pushed the plunger slowly to remove any air. Danny froze as the first drops of liquid dribbled slowly from the needle's tip. Any movement on the outside of the shed completely stilled as well. Steve was listening, watching and he also knew what was coming as Brent continued to speak.

"Think of it as compliments from Toast. My _buddy's_ gift to you."

Feeling faint, Danny was too tired to even voice his objection. His vision had dimmed as the pain rattled his leg from his vain attempt to roll forward and sweat was dripping incessantly into his eyes. He could only watch with dread as Kiki took the syringe and staggered over to him. But Danny could also sense Steve taking a position at the flimsy shed door. Not even a real door for it was held up barely by one rusted hinge and pieces of rope and misshapen planks of wood. And as Steve shifted and readied himself, Danny could almost see the foreboding shape of the SEAL looming at the ready. The glint from a gun that would be used if necessary. But then Kiki's much too skinny and immature body was at his side too soon and Danny tried to rear backwards into the old plank wall. With strength fading, Danny lazily moved his attention back to the young girl as she pushed filthy, lank yellow hair behind her ears while offering him a vacant sweet smile.

"He's right you know." Kiki kept smiling as she grabbed his wrist and fought past his attempts to pull away. She was almost lauging at the hand game of sorts as he tried to evade her grip.

"Oh come on." And she rolled her eyes and giggled now sounding very much like the young teenager she was as Danny broke her grip and then took her thin wrist in his own hand. "This will make you feel better. Your leg won't hurt so bad."

In the brief time he'd been with the two teenagers, Danny had failed miserably in his attempts to engage Kiki in any sort of conversation. It was clear that she didn't trust any adults in any way, shape or form. And trusting a cop was completely out of the question. His simple conversation and kind words had been met with a stony glare and she'd practically hidden behind Brent to avoid going near his side of the small shed.

But it was now also sadly obvious that the drugs made her feel more powerful as she bent down next to him.

"Kiki. Don't." His voice was harsh even to his own ears and he couldn't help coughing again. His entire body was heavy and responding lethargically as he tried to avoid her hands and the needle. Her sickish smile didn't reach her eyes as she got ready to inject him with the heroin. In fact, Kiki wasn't listening to him as she hummed a senseless tune.

She was much different from _before_ .. from just before Danny had first been shot when visiting with Toast down below in the main house. Her eyes had completely changed as she took her first trip and she'd lost much of her innocent expression. It was startling to see the weird changes in a face that was stuck inside a child's body and Danny had to close his eyes as he noted the bruises and marks on her soft-skinned arms.

"_Just a baby._" He had muttered under his breath when they first got to the shed. In shock, he had watched as she expertly slid the needle under her skin. Through the pain in his leg, he had felt a new pain turn his stomach as she folded herself onto the ancient moldy sofa and then rock to a silent song.

And now she was kneeling next to him, humming yet another crazily happy tune. He was breathing heavily as he held one of her scrawny wrists in a weak grip. But Danny couldn't take his hazy eyes off her other trembling hand as she raised the syringe like a special offering between them.

_**~ To be continued ~**_


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: thank you for the kind reviews. And of course to CinderH for awesome beta help as always!**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* **

**Chapter 2**

At first, she'd been petrified by the discharge of Brent's gun. It had gone off accidentally down below with Toast when Brent walked in on Danny speaking to his special tech-head geek friend. They were at Toast's laptop looking at the contents of a thumb drive that held a weird system's schematic that Danny needed advice on.

Toast had tried to explain to the wide-eyed boy that the Detective wasn't there for Brent. But the boy wouldn't listen and he was sure that Toast had called the cops about his stash of drugs. He'd immediately panicked when he saw the badge stuck in Danny's belt and had unexpectedly pulled a gun from his jacket. And the weapon wasn't only loaded, it had a hair trigger and had gone off as he clumsily took aim at the startled men.

Kiki had shrieked in fear .. cried and then sobbed hysterically when the bullet had hit the cop in the right thigh. And there had been so much blood when the man had crashed to the floor with a shocked grunt of pain. Brent had yanked Kiki forward and then gone immediately for Danny. Quickly grabbing and tossing away the cop's own gun and cell phone as Toast's family scattered in different directions… some down the dirt driveway and other's directly into the jungle; Toast included, but only after scooping up Danny's cell phone in a dead run as he bolted out the front of the old house.

Leaving an alarming trail of blood, Brent had forced and pushed Danny up the short path to the old gardener's shed now turned into their cheap one room home. He had shoved him into the far wall and then calmed Kiki and himself with laced weed and then shortly after that, the heroin. While they were busy with the heavier drug, Danny had at least managed to get his belt off to use as a tourniquet on the badly wounded leg. But hissing in pain as blood soaked his pants, he'd only managed to slow and not entirely stop the slow seepage of blood. The gun was waved around carelessly and often with Brent toying with the idea of shooting Danny again. He had even threatened Kiki but this time, directly to her face by brazenly aiming the weapon at her head. Her eyes had shone with a heightened fear as she laughed back uneasily, only quieting when Brent finally put it down.

So now feeling calmer and possibly even braver, Kiki softly laughed along with her boyfriend and even began to hum happily. He had finally put the gun up high on a shelf next to their many rows of stashed goods. Brent showing off his growing inventory as Danny studied the small shed and what the two seemed to be involved in - surprised by the rows of carefully wrapped boxes and stacked cellophane bags.

Kiki smiled where she sat on the old sofa since it didn't really matter what Brent was doing. Everything was okay again and she felt almost protected. She felt better with Brent telling her what to do and so would the cop. Kiki went over willingly to help Brent when he called her to the old rickety table; happy to do what he wanted since it pleased him most. So now she knelt next to the cop with the full syringe and grabbed his wrist. Her other hand proudly held the syringe in front of his face. She didn't hear him really speaking until the tables turned suddenly and she found her own wrist snared in his bigger hand. She realized it too late when his fingers wrapped completely around her tiny arm.

_Small like Gracie_ Danny faintly realized as his daughter's smiling much younger face swam into view. _So tiny and bird-like_. But his pressure was enough to stay Kiki's hand briefly as the needle pricked his skin and the humming got louder before it stopped with her frightened gasp. There was a moment of sheer silence in the shed and the the lack of sound along the feeling of the sharp needle crashed Danny back to the present.

"Kiki .. no. Don't." The syringe was half full of the dangerous drug and Danny could see the much too high dosage. He realized at that point that Brent knew it too. The boy was lounging against the far wall with a bleak queer smile as he watched Kiki. It was intentional and it was exactly the reason he wanted Kiki over by Danny with his _gift_ instead of himself. Danny's hand tightened reflexively around the scrawny wrist and he could feel her bones begin to creak.

"Put it down." His roughly voiced demand and the tightening grip made Kiki's face change. Danny clearly saw the terrified teenager return as her eyes widened to look at the wrist enveloped in Danny's larger hand. It was bloody and felt very cold as it trembled but she couldn't pull free. It was also staining her own skin and that too was scary. The humming stopped and her eyes welled up instantly with new tears. As one rolled down her cheek, Danny had to force himself to stay firm.

"Down. Put it down." But behind her, Brent frowned as he became angry.

"You're hurting me. Let go." Kiki whined as fear resurfaced. The syringe wavered in her hand as she now tried to pull away from Danny's grip. Things had changed and she was scared again. With a loud sniffle, she began to whimper but then tried to protect herself behind the needle. The tip was dangerously pressed to Danny's arm as a flood of tears began to run down her face.

"Let me go! Brent ... he's hurting me."

In the background, Danny sensed Steve rear back as the two teenagers separated in the small space; the SEAL's eyes were on the boy, Brent. The weapon was now on a high shelf near his head but within his reach, which still made Brent the primary target; the unarmed young girl off to the right was dangerous but had to be handled after the boy was neutralized.

Steve narrowed his eyes and stilled his breathing, hoping that Danny could handle her for just the few seconds he needed. He heard Danny's low voice and then small sniffling sounds started. She cried out once for help - for Danny to let go. Steve chose that moment to heave the rock loudly towards the right side of the dense brush and watched as the girl froze in place with the tip of the needle now pressing into Danny's forearm. Danny's right hand was wrapped around her wrist in an attempt to hold her back or hold her still; he wasn't quite sure in the dim light. But Steve grimaced at the trembling blood stained fingers; and through a break in the wood of the broken door he could also see half of Danny's pale face. It was lined with sweat and nearly ashen. Danny was losing the battle to remain conscious and Steve was running out of time as the needle pressed closer. The noise had only briefly distracted the boy and he'd already ignored it as his temper flared at Kiki. The dynamic in the room had altered, but to Steve's benefit as the shouting started.

"Come on! Just do it Kiki!" Brent demanded as his voice rose in anger and he stood taller. And this time Kiki winced as if she'd been struck across the face. His yelling scaring her two-fold as more tears bubbled up, her hands shook, and the whine continued for a new reason.

"I can't! Help me!" Kiki sobbed harder as Danny held stubbornly to her wrist so that she couldn't twist away. But instead, Brent only became more hostile as he called her names.

"Get out of the way .. you .._**stupid**_ …_**dumb**_ .." The drugs had an odd effect on the boy as he vacillated between rage and a sugary sweetness. But before he could impatiently stride over and do it himself, the flimsy door burst in with a loud screeching bang as it splintered into pieces. Steve had planned it well with Brent caught completely off guard. He fell hard as Steve pummeled him once across the cheek. Danny barely heard the high pitched terrified scream as Kiki wrenched herself out of his grasp and then dropped the syringe to run away on her knees. The large, black-clad imposing figure swam in and out of her drug-filled vision and she only wanted to get away from it as she scuttled into another far corner.

Unable to move, Danny vaguely watched as Steve silently snagged her from above. In the shadows of the candles, Steve's face was darkly ominous and very determined; each move he made had a distinct purpose. Brent was down and in two strides, he had Kiki by a bare ankle. She screamed in terror as she felt herself being dragged backwards across the wooden floor. And then gasped as she felt herself being lifted when Steve scooped her up and then dumped her on the old worn sofa. Moments later she was zip tied and left to sob wildly into the old stained cushions. Sparing Danny a worried look, Steve turned back to the unconscious boy and quickly zip-tied wrists and ankles before hastily striding over to kneel at Danny's side.

"Medics now. Duke, light this place up. Two for custody." Steve barked the commands into his communications unit and a mass of flood-lights suddenly filled the darkened area around Toast's house and then up the path to the small shed. "Get up here now people!"

"Did she use it Danny?" Steve didn't wait for an answer as he put the syringe Kiki had dropped off to the side. It looked still full as he rubbed the sweat off his face. And Steve sighed thankfully when he examined Danny's unresisting arms finding them completely unmarked. He whispered in utter relief as he turned Danny's blood-stained hands over in his own gloved ones. "Thank god. Good. Okay."

Danny was watching him with hooded eyes and as if disembodied but he was conscious so Steve quietly started a soft litany. Behind him, Kiki continued to wail uncontrollably but Steve barely heard her as he continued to just talk. "Toast called. Told me what happened. HPD is here and medics are coming up for us now."

"_Kids_." Danny breathed out as he tried to stay awake but he found himself closing his eyes against the wave of nauseating dizziness when Steve laid him flat on his back. He felt gentler hands checking the leg wound and hissed as the tourniquet was tightened. "She's a _baby_. _Kids, Steve_."

"Easy, Danny. I know." Steve was quietly frantic as he fought to speak in a controlled steady voice. He was furious as he bit his lip and saw the damage that these _kids_ had done not only to themselves, but to his friend. His hands worked to actively tighten the belted tourniquet and then couldn't hide his own wince along with Danny's at the pain he'd caused. With the flood lights making their way into the badly rotted shed, he could now easily see the blood soaked clothing and growing stain on the old dirty floor. He forced himself to speak calmly as his heart caught in his throat. Toast was right in that there was a lot of blood and he could feel Danny's cold pained trembling under his hands.

"I'm sorry." Steve could hear the medics charging up the now well-lit path with Duke and two other HPD officers. But he couldn't take his eyes off Danny's much too darkly haunted ones that were standing out now in contrast against a much too pale face. "Medics are here. We'll get you out and fixed up as good as new."

"Hey. I proved it. Didn't shoot first this time, Danno. Toast told me. They're both okay." Steve said the words hurriedly as the medics came up the two uneven wooden steps and into the shed. Bleary confused eyes met his own so Steve explained as he backed away just enough for the medics to begin better triage.

"My gun. Didn't fire a shot. Proved you wrong." Danny blinked once at the lightly teasing words and his eyes cleared slightly as a small smile spread across his lips. He was too tired to reply and fighting to stay awake as his vision grayed. A black-gloved hand found it's way to Danny's shoulder until Steve was forced to move again, giving the shoulder a small shake when the eyes threatened to slide shut permanently. "No no no. Stay awake."

The medics were nearly silent as they tried to stabilize Danny's vitals. Orders were voiced hastily back and forth over him until they were ready to move him. And then Steve kept pace with the stretcher as they carried Danny down the narrow dirt path to the ambulance. With a determined look, he crowded in beside the medics and started speaking again.

"Not a single shot - not a one, Danno. Everyone's safe and sound." In the background, Danny could hear the girl still screaming as she was virtually carried to a cruiser. He didn't know that the boy had come around but was sullen as Duke pushed him into a different vehicle. And then all sounds were abruptly cut off as the back doors were slammed shut to the ambulance and they began moving down the dirt drive back to the main roads. Danny wearily closed his eyes as he listened to Steve's voice droning on endlessly. His eyes refused to cooperate and he had to ignore the anxious shake on his shoulder. Instead, he tried to focus on the warm feeling Steve's hand left imprinted there as his body shivered. The ambulance was rocking as it slowly and carefully moved down the dirt road. It was painful and Danny grimaced under the oxygen mask as he felt himself fading. He didn't hear Steve anymore and didn't know when they finally hit pavement and the sirens began to blare as the vehicle accelerated.

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* **

Almost two hours earlier, Steve had answered his cell phone on the first ring seeing Danny's name flash across the screen. He'd been shocked to hear a babbling male voice that he didn't immediately recognize.

"_Who the hell is this?" _Steve had snapped into the phone. He knew Danny had taken the schematics to Toast. They looked like a specialized security system. The questions Danny wanted to ask included if they _were just that _and if so, then _what for_? Work hours had ended long ago and he thought Danny was calling to give him an update or at least announce he was swinging by his house. But the voice was frantic, garbled. Entirely unrecognizable and it took a few minutes for Steve to finally make out the terrified words. And then he was running out the door on the first intelligible syllable.

_"**Jersey** .. Toast, man. It's Toast. He shot him. I'm at my place. You gotta help Jersey!"_

In truth, Steve had almost reacted to bringing the two down until he saw Kiki's waif-like face and the obvious drug induced movements. Toast had warned him after he'd calmed down long enough to make sense. "_She's a kid. Please don't hurt her, man. She's just under Brent's spell and he's barely twenty himself. Could be younger. We've all been trying to help Kiki though. But the dude is just bad news and she won't listen to us, man._"

So he'd bided his time as he tracked them through the broken slats of the old potter's shed. Creeping silently and staying low; cataloging where Brent had finally put his weapon. Able to touch Danny briefly to reassure both of them. Hefting a large rock in one hand. Noting that the girl was a _child_ really and exactly as Toast had so worriedly described. But Steve had been admittedly torn about just using his gun when he heard the boy's cocky bravado and then saw the young girl's much too willing intent to inject Danny. With an effort, he'd forced himself to wait and watch. Barely breathing as the tone in the room changed over and over again. When Kiki started to cry, Steve had already holstered his weapon to size up the flimsy door.

And now as the ambulance moved faster on the main road, Steve's hand anxiously tightening on Danny's shoulder while he watched his friend lose his fight to remain conscious. Two HPD cruisers tagged along; each with their own worrisome problem safely secured in the back seat.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* **

**Chapter 3**

Other than being placed on hold for Steve to mobilize HPD, Toast had stayed on Danny's cell phone with Steve the entire way over to the remote house. He was still very high-strung and stumbling over his words, but managed to explain what had happened and that he had been trying to get rid of Brent for weeks.

"_Young guy is bad news, man. Real bad. Never expected this though. Not with Jersey."_ Toast was genuinely remorseful and confused by the rapid change of events. "_We were just looking at the schematic ... and it's pretty gnarly ..the input .." _The excited side-note had made Steve growl a warning and Toast got right back on track.

"_Yeah, sorry. The kid saw the Camaro .. barged in on us .. and the gun .. man! I didn't know he even had one up here ..." _There was no way that Toast would go back on the property while Brent was up there, but he also realized that he couldn't exactly leave either. So he had the foresight to snatch up Danny's cell phone and get far enough way to safety.

"_Called as soon as I could .. but I'm down on the road." _Far enough to place a call, but not so far away that he couldn't see what was going on. Steve felt some relief that Toast had at least stayed close to the property for the time being.

"_Nah, they haven't left. Don't think they will .. they're scared too. Brent didn't exactly think any of this through_."

The small enclave of friends that roomed and boarded together on the fringes of acceptable society was close and tight-knit. Brent was not welcome to stay after bringing _home_ laced weed that had gotten a few of the family very sick, including Toast. And then definitely not wanted after the heavier drugs showed up. Brent started coming and going much too often; new strangers had shown up once or twice on the property - completely unannounced. Everyone was uncomfortable and tempers were on a tight edge. And then Brent had begun to flash growing piles of cash with an arrogant grin day after day. The antics were nothing that interested the group - no one wanted to get involved.

The one-time overnight favor had since turned into a four-week odyssey and now a very awkward prolonged squat. And Brent's new little girl-friend Kiki, was also suspiciously much too young and most likely on the run. No one knew her full name or where she had come from; she just appeared one day proudly displayed on Brent's arm. The family was an interesting hodge-podge mix of people but none wanted to deal with an underage runaway or a budding bad news drug dealer. So after a family meeting of the minds, Toast had informed Brent that they were being evicted. The family had had enough.

But then they just couldn't get rid of the guy and he'd boldly moved up higher on the property to take over the small one room potting shed. Out-fitted with an old moldy mattress, dilapidated and worn sofa, plus a propane camping stove, the potting shed already had a table of sorts. It was enough for the two teenagers until Brent _'made it big'_. He vowed it was going to happen soon and that he'd show them all. After that, he'd be loaded and have a lot of good friends, nothing like the losers they were. So until that day dawned, the two declared themselves as moved out. But to Toast and the family, they were still on the property and most definitely **_not_** out of mind. Brent and his dealings were still too close for comfort.

And when Jersey showed up that early evening, it all came apart. "_Hell in a hand basket, man."_ Toast declared as he paced in the road, still breathless from the scare.

Brent thought that Toast had called the cops – to snitch and turn him in. And then he'd over-reacted - he'd literally blown up. A gun had miraculously appeared and then it had gone off. Jersey had fallen to the ground holding his leg. Family had bolted in various directions out of the house and across the dirt driveway, scattering chickens and knocking over a few pots and pans.

"_Jersey was here for some intel. Brought us gifts too, man. Dessert you know? But Brent shot him and now .. they're holed up high in the old shed_." Steve's eyes had widened at the news and he'd set his jaw angrily.

"How bad, Toast?" There had been a hesitation since Toast obviously didn't know and he was freaked by the experience. So Steve shook his head in disgust as he floored the Silverado; HPD and medics directly behind him in a desperate race to the location.

"Toast .. talk to me." His voice was menacing as he finally got to the tertiary dirt road -_ no, cow path_, Steve reminded himself. Danny definitely would call this poor excuse for a road, a_ cow path_. The truck briefly skidded as the rear wheels fought for traction and dirt flew into the HPD vehicles behind him. He was angry and scaring the man even more, but Steve couldn't help himself as he demanded more information.

"_Leg wound. But the blood man. Lots of blood._" Steve's face had darkened and focused in abject fury and then he forced himself to listen. Trying to get through the geek's disjointed words for something of value so he'd be prepared on site.

Toast explained that Jersey had come over for a favor which wasn't a bad thing for the family didn't mind - Jersey was cool. He pretty much left them all alone and so was essentially ignored during the small handful of times he'd visit. But then warmly appreciated for the enormous piles of gifted candy that he always graciously left for the small community.

"_So yeah .. Brent thought we ratted him out. Went completely crazy …Jersey's down, man. And the blood ..."_

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* **

When he had first arrived at Toast's place, Steve had been alarmed by the blood trail that started at the main house. He'd also found Danny's gun under a toppled chair; safety still on. The kid had been reactive .. scared .. definitely not entirely thinking. It was obvious that people had scattered every which way as he stepped over broken glass and over-turned chairs. But that did nothing to ease Steve's mind as he crept up the path and sized up the scene. To his trained eye, even in the darkness, the spatters of blood on leaves, ferns and in the dirt were ominous.

Steve narrowed his vision as he focused to listen hard for any sounds coming towards him while he crept closer to the shed. Part of his mind had still been reciting the words as he saw the dark drops. "_A lot of blood_."

The shed was so old that it didn't take him very long to find a break in the crumbling wood so he could cautiously see the interior. In fact, he had to be exceedingly careful to avoid being seen himself as he paced all sides; peering in to determine his best vantage point. Steve also found a break near where Danny lay so limply against the wall. He was slumped down on his left side and Steve couldn't see too much of his condition. Only the flash of his dirty white shirt and part of his arm. But he was just close enough to the thin paneled walls for Steve to reach in.

Silently, Steve snaked his gloved hand through the gap in the broken panels in order to gently grasp the limp fingers and finally, with some twisting on his part, reach the wrist with his trigger finger. He'd been relieved to find a pulse and then over-joyed when Danny had not only found his hand in return, but had also spoken to recognize that help had arrived. Danny was undeniably weak and the interior of the potting shed - now become an ad hoc _home_ of sorts - was shadowed in the light cast by a few scattered candles. Danny's pulse was rapid and fluttering and Steve needed to end this now and get the medics up to the shed sooner rather than later.

"_Come in low and quiet, man._" Toast had anxiously requested no sirens or lights so as not to tip off Brent and Kiki. "_Family's gone. I'm the only one here down by the road_."

So without their knowledge, reinforcements had arrived thanks to Toast. Besides Steve, HPD back-up with Duke Lukela plus a team of medics waited below and just out of sight in the packed dirt drive as Steve took care of the situation … on his terms.

After reassuring himself that Danny was breathing and mostly off to the side out of harm's way, Steve had carefully developed his game plan. And even though Toast had told him, Steve was admittedly shocked at the ages of the two. The girl especially looked younger than he had imagined; but by the matted hair, poor clothing and many bruises it was obvious that she'd been on the road for quite some time.

The one room shed was small and there wouldn't be much room to work once Steve acted. So he waited impatiently for the two to separate just enough. He watched Brent place his gun up high and then the heroin come out again. Danny had tried to move as well .. Steve could see him struggling against the wall and then grabbing his leg as pain rattled his entire body. His energy seemed spent as he slid more onto his side into a huddled heap.

"_Just stay down, Danny .. come on ..what are you doing partner .." _Steve had uttered the words inaudibly on a too softly hissed exhale. At first afraid Danny would accidentally get in the way, his breath had caught in fear as his friend quite simply got nowhere.

Steve's attention was drawn back to the teenagers and his gut had fiercely clenched again when he saw the syringe. After it was readied, he'd cursed as he saw the girl wander over to where Danny lay and then bend down. He faintly registered that she was humming a nonsensical tune as she tried to grab Danny's wrist ... the needle almost if not already, touching the skin of his arm.

"_Nonono_." His mind was on the move as Steve gritted his teeth in fury. _Bad_ had just gotten much worse. But Danny did just enough to unsettle her. Just enough with flagging energy to keep her nearer to him as he wrapped a trembling bloodied hand around the skinny wrist. And then her startled surprise and growing fear had prompted the argument with the boy.

Timing was critical as Steve stilled his breathing. The situation was as perfect as it could possibly get and so he'd simply stormed the flimsy door after using the oldest trick in the book to distract them while their argument and the girl's panic both escalated. He'd thrown the rock. The noise in the brush caused the girl to freeze, but not the boy. He was angry though and she had begun to cry again as he called her names and put her down. With one loud splintered bang from the broken wooden door, Steve was in their midst and then then it was over .. the boy was neutralized with a well-aimed blow and two foot-steps later, Kiki was also out of the picture. Once Steve had begun to move, the situation was under control in less than twenty-five seconds.

Steve had fallen to his knees shouting for the medics and HPD support. The floodlights from the HPD vehicles illuminated Toast's house and the surrounding area and he could now easily see the extent of the wound. Even with the belted tourniquet, Danny's pants were soaked and a red stain seeped into the floor. The bleeding had been slowed but not entirely stopped. Danny was conscious but too still .. too quiet .. and he hadn't said a word until he finally croaked out _'kids'_. And Steve heard the amazement in Danny's feeble voice.

"_I know."_ Steve's response had been soft as he finally saw Danny's much too ashen face. He was panting now and blinking his eyes rapidly in an attempt to stay awake. To ease the erratic breathing, Steve had gently moved him off the wall to lay flat as the footsteps of the medics entered the shed. Danny was shaking and trembling more by then. He was in a cold sweat and his head tossed miserably as Steve continued to try and stop the slow bleeding.

As he tried to stem the wound, Steve had been mortified that he couldn't immediately find an exit for the bullet. Danny was struggling to stay conscious and he winced in pain as Steve re-adjusted the belt. His worried rambling began as Danny's eyes threatened to slip shut.

"_Didn't shoot first this time, Danno ... They're both okay."_ There was a small twitch to Danny's lips; a brief sign of approval. The old joke was appreciated. But Steve was desperately worried as the medics arrived and took over triage. As he moved aside, Steve maintained a hold on Danny's shoulder for himself as much as for the injured man. He closed his eyes .. squeezed them shut tightly as he took in a shuddering breath. His hand tightened in understanding when the whisper, wracked with shock and amazement, reached his ears. For all that had happened, Danny was still thinking about the young girl sobbing hysterically behind them.

_"She's a baby_. _Kids, Steve_."

Steve didn't know what to say except to start his stressed random talking in a vain attempt to keep Danny conscious and himself focused; more grounded. They might have been _kids_, but Danny was badly injured. These _kids_ would have just kept going.

_"Easy, Danny. I know_."

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: CinderH is the best! thank you for the constant beta and help on all of my stories. My continued thanks as well, for the fantastic reviews and comments. I'm trying to get back to each of you (my job is interfering, go figure). **

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* **

**Chapter 4**

Steve watched in a helpless anguish as the medics tried to stabilize Danny in the ambulance, but even they were grimly quiet as they exhausted all of their best means. He could only register key words that meant Danny's vitals were much too low as he continued to shake uncontrollably. And Steve was also shaken by what had nearly happened .. at the risk he had dared to take when Kiki held the syringe so close to Danny. No not _close_. The needle had actually touched the skin on his arm as he weakly held her wrist. It could have happened so easily ... so damned fast.

"What did I do?" Steve muttered to himself as thoughts of what could have been began to plague him. He was barely voicing the words and the sounds of the ambulance drowned him out anyway. "God Danny .. such a stupid risk."

"Nicked an artery." The loud words brought Steve out of his musings as his eyes flew to the medic. He was re-adjusting the new tourniquet and unhappy about the obstinate trickle of blood. "It's slowed considerably and we packed it good too. But for this amount of bleeding ... that bullet definitely nicked an artery."

The second medic continued to check the fluids being used to support Danny's flagging body. The stethoscope never left his ears as he listened to Danny's heart and then moved back to the blood pressure cuff. With a barely disguised frown, the oxygen flow was increased under the mask the very next minute. Neither medic was particularly pleased by what they were recording and sending to the trauma center at the hospital. Steve was glued to every word as the first medic continued to carefully examine Danny's wounded leg. The pants had long ago been cut away and he was now wiping the blood off with clean pieces of gauze.

"No obvious exit wound and I can't determine the trajectory. The bullet could be lodged in his femur but there's no way to tell where it is yet. The ER needs to get him cross-typed and ready for exploratory surgery."

Already mentally drained and adrenalin waning, Steve groaned out loud when the medic confirmed what he had suspected in the shed. "I was afraid of that." The medic nodded as he continued to clean the blood away. Steve reluctantly removed his hand from Danny's shoulder as the men continued to work. They may have done as much as they physically could to help Danny, but the team was in constant motion and conversation with the hospital. So Steve nested his elbows on his knees and covered his face as his body swayed to the motion of the ambulance. There would be nothing to do but wait as the experts took over. Toast's description of _'hell in a hand basket'_ perfectly described the horror of the situation.

His hand flew back to Danny's shoulder in alarm when the ambulance hit a rut in the road and a harsh cough sounded on the heels of a muffled moan. The pain was evident behind the closed eyes as Danny's head tossed and he moaned again.

"Nothing else? You can't do anything else for him?" Steve looked up impatiently as he suddenly blurted out the question in a hoarse whisper.

The second medic was again re-checking the flow of oxygen to the mask. And more blankets were broken out to spread over Danny as the cold tremble increased. Helping to tuck in a blanket around Danny's shoulder's, Steve snared the lax hand. He knew their answer as they shared a quick look but Steve had to ask as his temper flared.

The kind nod towards Steve acknowledged his worry and even offered an apology for the rutted road. They had done everything humanly possible with what they had at their skillful disposal. "Bleedings slowed significantly and we're only two minutes out now. They're ready for him."

Less than two minutes later, they were exiting the ambulance and rapidly trotting to the emergency room and trauma center. As promised, the critical care unit was well prepared for the injured officer and Danny was whisked away directly to surgery. Now hours later, he remained in surgical intensive care and Steve was pacing frantically in the outer hallway. He had fought to be allowed into the highly specialized critical area as Danny came out of surgery and now forced to leave as a series of alarms went off.

Chin had arrived to find him now wide-eyed and out of breath; incredulous for having to say the words as another doctor entered the surgical intensive care unit on a run.

"Chin. His heart stopped."

Chin pulled Steve forcibly away from the chaos they could barely glimpse through the small windowed doors. At Steve's request, Duke had called Chin while Steve peppered Toast with questions. There was so much Steve could coordinate with the overly excited tech-head on the cell phone. Duke contacted Chin once again as the ambulance left the remote property. The sergeant had filled Chin in on as much as he possibly could including details related to the teenagers. But Chin had been on the other side of the island and his best efforts couldn't get him to the hospital faster than that moment. And Kono was on vacation for the week, but Chin had already left her a detailed message and then a third, and now a fourth. So as he caught up with what had happened, he could see the bone-weary exhaustion etched across the SEAL's face.

"What's going on?" Chin gently coaxed as he draped a soothing arm over Steve's slumped shoulders and purposefully steered him towards a private area in the small waiting room. He needed Steve's version and definitely more about what had been happening with Danny after surgery.

"Steve, let's go over here."

The two spoke quietly and Steve haltingly as his eyes continually skidded back to the SICU doors. But Chin nodded as Steve finally filled him in. He was stern though when Steve admitted to the risk he had taken.

"It was stupid. I shouldn't have .. the chance I took." Steve's voice rose as his worry came out in a single rush. "The needle was right there .. I swear it was touching his arm. She could have killed him."

But Chin was unforgiving and uncharacteristically challenging; and his friend's own own anger took Steve completely by surprise. "So. What would you have done. Seriously, what would you have done differently? Announced yourself? Talked them _down_? Tried _reason_? There was no time. Danny would have bled out."

Duke had not only explained what had happened on Toast's home, he had also contacted Chin with more information about Brent. The girl was still an enigma. Anti social, not speaking or communicating to anyone; they had no idea who she was and were now actively investigating all missing persons files. But Brent had a laundry list of convictions each becoming more notorious in nature. Though it was his worst thus far, shooting and then kidnapping a police officer wasn't even his first felonious event. Chin knew that there would have been no reasoning with that one.

And since Steve had no immediate answer to defend himself, Chin finished the point he was determined to make. "I can tell you that there was no other option. You'd have two injured or dead kids on your hands. And Danny would be the same as he is now .. or worse. So Steve, you can't beat yourself up for a 'could have been.'

"There was no _time_. You did the right thing." He softened as he banged Steve on his knee with his fist. "And hey, you don't second guess yourself. I don't suggest you start now and definitely not with this."

"Yeah. Okay." Steve rubbed his face with both hands and managed to grin ruefully at Chin. They had been talking a long time and Chin was tempted to fill him in on Brent, but Steve was becoming more anxious. He'd gotten up to pace again when time continued to tick by and no one appeared through the SICU doors to update them.

He threw his hands up in the air as anger finally won out. "What's going on in there?" Chin was just rising to his own feet to question the delay when Danny's surgeon finally appeared.

"Well. It's about damned time." Steve confronted the man without preamble as he walked through the doors. "How is he?"

"He's in serious condition and I can't declare him as stable just yet." Steve's angry face completely fell at the doctor's gently stated update. Chin couldn't hide his growing concern at the much too cautious words as the doctor motioned them off to the side. He understood their need for more information as he simply allowed their anxiety to roll off him without taking offense.

"Let's sit together so I can fill you in on everything .. and then you'll understand."

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* **

The bullet had lodged high in the upper portion of Danny's femur after damaging an artery. And then bone fragments had aggravated surrounding blood vessels. Surgery to remove the bullet and repair the arterial wall was painstakingly slow and then complicated by the erratic heart beat and a stubbornly low blood pressure. And then the femur itself needed to be stabilized.

"Come on Danny." Steve whispered into this hands. He was back to sitting in the SICU next to Danny's bed. He was unable to fight the feelings of despair after what had just happened and after hearing the doctor's much too cautionary update.

"_Detective Williams' heart stopped. Combined stresses from the injury, loss of blood ... surgery ... and the arrhythmia. But we got him back ..more monitoring .. get vitals under control ..with luck ..."_

From that point on, the words had become a white-noised buzz and Steve had flatly refused to leave Danny's side. Chin was obstinately lurking just outside the doorway so the two Five-0 men were making their presence known to the staff.

Steve watched in a daze as the SICU nurses hovered nearby constantly checking and re-checking Danny's readings. The critical care unit was designed to provide comprehensive care for critically ill surgical and trauma patients. Danny was undoubtedly in excellent hands but the atmosphere was also dire and foreboding. Seconds ticked by like minutes; minutes like hours and then hours were unbearable. At the two hour mark, Chin ignored the glares of the SICU staff before they realized what he was doing.

"Take a break." Chin whispered in a commanding voice as he latched onto Steve's elbow and lifted up. "Now. Right now." He was surprised when Steve didn't resist. In fact, he'd been ready for an argument. But Steve allowed Chin to pilot him to the cafeteria for coffee and a tasteless snack. It was there that Chin finally filled him in on Brent's checkered past and Steve seemed almost relieved for the distraction.

"Brent Michaels. Nineteen. Most recently, he's wanted in Arizona for a variety of charges including armed robbery .. convenience store. Aggravated assualt" Steve's bloodshot eyes flew to Chin's face in surprise while the man nodded about the truth of it.

"That's a felony ... he's a felon?"

"Escaped felon to be precise. Steve, this kid has _never_ been on the straight and narrow. We're not sure yet how or when he even got to the islands. But he's infatuated with criminal life and escalating over time based on his rap sheet."

He couldn't hide the amazement in his voice as he made sure he heard right. "Escaped felon? At nineteen?"

Chin snorted and then held up his hand so that he could continue. "Oh yeah - there's more. When you have time, his file is quite the read. His first recorded _issue_ was a suspected arson at his elementary school - oddly, another shed but where the sports equipment was stored. I think it put him at eleven years old. But he was only reprimanded and assigned some community service hours."

He was disturbed as he tapped the table nervously. "There's no doubt in anyone's mind that he'll be tried as an adult not only for shooting and kidnapping an officer, but the drug possession charges. The stash he was hoarding and the cash HPD found in the floor boards of the shed is nothing short of impressive for someone his age. We're anxious for any names he'll turn over since it obviously implies some major connections. And I might add that Arizona wants him back when we're through with him."

But Chin could only shrug at Steve's next question. "And what about the girl?"

"No one knows and she won't talk to a soul. Like I said, Brent came up immediately in the system. But this kid, Kiki? HPD is checking missing persons and throwing out a national net to search for a match. Right now .. the girl's a total mystery." He leaned back in his chair with an amazed grunt as he could only stare at Chin.

"So much for being _just kids_." Steve muttered sarcastically under his breath.

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* **

Steve carried his third cup of coffee back to the SICU to once again take up his place in the chair. Four hours had passed since he'd first met the doctor with Chin. He was off to the side and out of the way as promised. The doctor was there again and bending over Danny's chart so Steve stayed quiet and studied the floor. But he looked up quickly when the doctor heaved a somewhat satisfied sigh of relief.

"What?" He demanded with some renewed interest.

"The last few readings are better .. more steadily consistent. I do believe that we have the arrhythmia under control." The doctor was removing his stethoscope and almost smiling as he nodded. "Blood pressure has also improved now to more acceptable levels. He may wake ..."

The doctor paused as Danny's hand twitched and there was brief frown under the oxygen mask. A small head movement and the doctor looked meaningfully at Steve. "Yes. Actually, he seems to be waking up as he stabilizes now. I'm sure he'd appreciate a friendly face."

The unexpected words made Steve stumble to his feet in surprise and he choked out a soft sound as he picked up the hand that was now moving idly amongst the sheets.

"Danny. Hey. You going to wake up for us?"

The soft prompt elicited a slight moan but a few seconds later, the pale blue eyes finally opened to study Steve's own drawn face. Danny was confused as he frowned and closed his fingers around Steve's hand. But Steve smiled warmly as he returned the pressure.

"You're okay. Chin's here too. You gave us quite a scare." But Danny's mouth moved soundlessly under the oxygen mask and the doctor shook his head as he put a calming hand on his patient's shoulder. The frown only deepened as Danny looked at the unfamiliar man.

"_Where_?" The one word was softly muffled and Danny grimaced at the effort it took. He felt like an elephant was sitting on his chest as he sucked in the welcome oxygen.

"Tired." His fingers clenched unconsciously as he closed his eyes and Steve took a tighter hold as he glanced worriedly to the doctor.

"I'm Doctor Reynolds. You're going to be fine. I don't want you talking just yet. You need to get your strength back." It took a moment for Danny to nod once and then his eyes were wearily forced open again. Danny was back on Steve's face, studying the dark shadows and scruffy lines.

He couldn't quite get his mouth around the words, but he finally huffed out two. "Toast. Kids."

"Shh. Just rest. It's good ..everyone's good. Safe and sound." Steve caught the doctor's signal to keep things brief as Danny began to struggle much too soon to stay awake. Steve was smiling in relief as the doctor rapidly checked readings and visibly relaxed. Danny would remain in the SICU but he was definitely improving. Chin appeared over his shoulder and Danny's face eased considerably at the sight of a second happily beaming face.

The soft _'hey'_ for Chin's benefit made the doctor roll his eyes as another warning finger went up and his patient's eyes slowly found his face once more. His eyebrows were raised and the man shrugged as he held his hands out wide.

"What did I just say? Resting please or I will shoo them out."

The lips twitched under the mask at the soft reprimand and Chin and Steve watched as Danny fell into a peaceful sleep. The doctor smiled and nodded his approval; it also affirmed his rising confidence. "He'll sleep awhile now. But vitals are much better."

Steve puffed his cheeks and blew out the breath he'd been holding so fearfully. Danny's face had gotten back some of its more normal coloring. And he continued to hold the hand which was finally more naturally warm; noting that the alarming bluish tinge had also left the tips of Danny's finger nails. He allowed himself a fleeting grin when he felt Chin's grasp his shoulder in support. "Yeah, Danny. You're going to be fine."

But Chin gave Steve's shoulder a small shake and a special look to convey more than that. "No, we're all going to be okay."

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: thank you for the wonderful reviews.**

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* **

**Chapter 5**

Danny was moved to his own stepped down private room fourteen hours later. And then released from the hospital three days after that when the doctor finally deemed his patient strong enough for discharge. But the list of do's and don'ts, multiple caveats and very specific instructions were a mile long and when the doctor finished the lecture, he couldn't help the snarking comment. "_Maybe I should just stay here. It'd be easier."_

Doctor Reynolds had laughed good-naturedly with a comforting hand on his shoulder. "_There's no reason why you can't rest at home and be more comfortable. But you are not cleared for work by a long shot!"_

_"It sounds like I'm barely cleared to breathe."_ Danny griped back as he shifted uncomfortably in the bed. But his healing leg pained him and Danny would need to be careful for the next few weeks.

And then his SEAL caretaker - ever present - had to chime in causing Danny's hackles to briefly rise. "_We got it doc_."

"_We? What's this 'we' bit? I don't need help to sit in a corner or hop around on a crutch."_ The annoyed rant had begun and Doctor Reynolds quickly left the room with an amused expression.

"_The nurse will be in with the papers shortly."_

So now Danny was finally going home and he was secretly relieved as he sat on the edge of his bed waiting for the final paperwork. Steve was lounging apparently carelessly in a side chair; looking as if he were reading the newspaper but sneaking peeks over the top to study Danny's much too pensive face. The usual Williams' attitude was buried as well and Steve completely resented the changes. Since the accident, Danny was morose, talked little and joked even less. The short rant had been a much welcome flash of normalcy. But Danny showed little interest in anything except for the times Grace called or visited him in the hospital. And he'd asked only once about Kiki .. if she was in juvenile detention or if anything was being done to help the girl.

Steve had only been able to provide the one brief update that he knew - HPD was still looking for her family. And the news had unsettled Danny even more which left Steve loathe to share anything else until it could be absolutely confirmed.

"_Her real name is Katherine Thomas. But Duke is having a time tracing the family's whereabouts .. Kono's helping by looking for a legal guardian; any family relations that might be willing to step forward._"

But then he had yet to ask about Brent in the many hours and long days since he'd been declared out of danger. Not once asking about what had happened to the boy. It was almost as if Danny knew what the answer would be and perhaps he did know. As an officer, it wouldn't take much to expect that he'd be likely remanded through adult courts .. discarded once again; handed off as a "serious juvenile offender" and charged accordingly. Steve's brows knit in anger as he ducked his head behind the paper. Brent Michaels may have been young by passage of time on a calendar, but certainly not if measuring him by his inexcusable life experiences, lack of remorse, and dangerous actions.

Steve had come to the conclusion in the quiet of his own home. Realizing that Danny simply didn't need to ask - he knew. There would be no other option for an older teen that had shot an officer of the law and then held that same officer as hostage. What Steve had yet to know was the boy's intent to commit murder that Danny was still hiding. Conflicted with the knowledge that Brent meant to kill him with an intentional overdose through Kiki's hands.

Danny was haunted by Brent's face and how he had leered from behind the girl's back .. the exciting thrill of having control over two people. Danny was pensive because he needed to speak to the courts about the boy's actual intent to murder. The information would completely change the nature of the case and **_up_ **the charges. His eyes were sad as they met Steve's over the top of the newspaper. The dark blue ones were boring through him and Danny dropped his gaze almost guiltily to once again study his hands. Steve rustled the papers loudly and then noisily folded them into a clumsy mess. The sounds made Danny look up again and Steve grinned at his success as Danny became only annoyed with himself.

"You ever going to tell me what's wrong?" And Steve raised his finger in warning as Danny gave a noncommittal shrug. He'd been much too subdued since the incident at Toast's and Steve pushed as he saw the facade begin to crumble slightly.

"Oh no. Not buying it, Danno. We need to talk about this. Tell me what's wrong."

The room was silent as Danny went back to studying his hands but he even surprised himself as he verbalized the soft whisper. It took Steve a fraction of a second to catch on and then he leaned forward to hang on to Danny's almost monotone words. Anger slowly filled his face as he understood the implications of what Danny experienced and then of course, what it meant for the boy. With all that had gone on, Danny hadn't yet been officially debriefed and now he was talking. But his face had paled and his voice was scarily devoid of emotion.

"He meant it ... and Brent _meant_ to use Kiki to do it .. it would have been an overdose of course .. but I saw his eyes. He was enjoying a new game and it would have been too much. It would have been on purpose." Matter of fact .. simply stated hollow words that made Steve's stomach clench.

"Danno. Are you sure?" He breathed out. Walking forward to sit closely next to his friend, Steve stiffened when Danny nodded. "Definitely. Positive."

The additional charges would be entered that very day; for Brent, _bad_ definitely had become insurmountable. The teen would be charged as an adult with a laundry list of crimes, including assault of an officer with intent to murder. Steve would make sure of it as Danny began to ramble and stutter. He looked up with a wan expression and some emotion finally entered his tone, but only in amazement.

"But Steve. They're just _kids_."

**H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* **

Danny's funk continued after his statement was officially recorded against Brent. The facts to support intent were corroborated by the bagged evidence taken from the scene. The full syringe of heroin had been duly bagged and recorded as the one used by Kiki to threaten Danny. The dosage was extreme and quite lethal if injected. Once Danny had been completely debriefed, charges were modified and added to compound the growing case against Brent Michaels.

Duke had also finally provided more information about Kiki and none of it was good. It was still pending, but Kiki was likely to be committed for a longer-term incarceration to Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility versus juvenile detention. Options were alarmingly slim as Duke and HPD identified her true identity and then failed time and again to locate a legal guardian. She was addicted and completely anti-social. And based on her current associations and involvement with an officer's shooting and subsequent abduction; the newly entered charges of intent to murder linked her as an accomplice. The stronger sentencing was more than likely going to happen.

He had been camped out in the sun at Steve's when Duke called the first time. He listened with his eyes closed as he thought back to Kiki's baby-like face. Dark green eyes that should have been much more innocent. A high school kid that would never make it to her prom. A kid that never had the sheer luck or love in her life to go with her dad to buy a pretty dress for a father-daughter dance.

"_I'm sorry to have to share this news. In all my years I've never had this happen_." In short, Duke explained that her mother didn't seem to want her back. When HPD finally tracked the woman to St. Louis, Missouri, there had been a stunned hesitation on the other side of the phone. A complete and utter silence and then a choked angered whisper by a male voice.

"_**Kiki**? What the hell kind of name is that?" _The man had roared the words across the miles and even Duke had flinched. In the background, he told Danny that he thought he heard a woman's voice.

"_Is that about Katie_?" He told him that he was positive that the woman had said those words.

"_I definitely heard the name 'Katie'_," Duke said. "_I demanded to speak to Eleanor Thomas, but was refused. St. Louis PD confirmed a list of complaints at the residence and they will also do an onsite on our behalf tomorrow_." But then the man had talked over the woman; ignoring what sounded like soft pleading cries in the background.

"_No. We don't know a Katherine Thomas_." The line had gone dead and Duke had been left in an uproar in his office. He'd called back and tried again. But the call went completely unanswered as the phone rang incessantly. Kono had taken the information and run with it. With the help of St. Louis PD, she pieced together a badly knitted and broken background of abuse and neglect. Danny was stunned to learn that Kiki was Katherine '_Katie' _Thomas. And she was only sixteen, not seventeen and the unfortunate truth was that no one wanted her.

Duke gently explained that Kono uncovered a dismal back-story of a broken family that had moved no less than eight times after a tragic accident that took Katie's baby sister's life. "_House fire in Seattle. Katie's little sister died but she got out. She was only seven years old at the time and her sister was four_."

Evidently, her single mother couldn't cope and the small family had unraveled at the seams until it finally imploded. A series of uprooted moves and too many bad relationships to count. Her mother finally decided that she couldn't manage herself let alone a teenager, so Katie had been disowned .. abandoned. "_The mother has been with this latest guy for three years or so .. CPS reports show a possible history of abuse. Katie or Kiki hasn't been safe anywhere in a very long time. And with the mother's history she might have been given an ultimatum from this guy .. something like it's me or the kid. But I'm only guessing._"

"And we can't help her either." Danny just couldn't accept it as his breath hitched. Assuming that Kiki was seventeen years old was bad enough. Learning now that she was only sixteen, only served to compound the sad loss and Danny began to lose his temper in sheer frustration.

"She's a really just a kid .. a _kid_! Come on Duke. Nothing?"

Duke hesitated and the sighed in his office. The girl was complicated and the emotional scars were too immersed in a tangled abusive past. "_No. She's completely shut down. Maybe with professional help .. more time? And .. Danny, she went willingly along with a lot of things."_

Danny was sitting outside again .. still at Steve's place as he hobbled around on crutches. The excuse used to keep him there had made him briefly smile, "_too many stairs at your place Danny. Can't have you stuck in a one room crawl-space_."

So here he sat watching the sunset on his partner's lanai with his leg comfortably elevated. But he'd just ended his second conversation with Duke and Danny's face was again guarded as he blindly watched the waves merge into a blue and white blur. Duke called because St. Louis PD had paid Eleanor Thomas a personal visit as promised. It wasn't a problem especially since they'd been there a few times in the recent past to investigate reports of family disputes. But the residence was oddly empty with no forwarding address.

"_Looked like they left in a hurry. The place was a dump_. _Neighbors don't know a thing."_

He looked up when Steve came over to sit next to him clearly wanting to know what Duke had found out. Already reading the morose expression and knowing that whatever Duke shared hadn't been good news. He was healing on the outside but Danny was deeply affected by what had happened. Once again, he was much too quiet for Steve's liking and he grimaced as he asked the inevitable question.

"You okay?"

Danny didn't know what to say since there was nothing neither he nor anyone else could do about any of it. He sighed to himself at Duke's quiet reminder before their call just ended, "_We can't save them all Danny. Especially when they don't want to be saved._"

Duke was right and Danny had to let it go. There was simply nothing he could do and absolutely nothing left to be done. So he nodded as his distant eyes slid over Steve's concerned face. "Yeah."

He forced himself to move on; though part of him still objected. That small part that lingered and whispered that he too was abandoning the girl just as everyone else had. So easy to walk away .. so easy to file her away to a faceless place. Out of sight and out of mind.

Danny was resigned as he closed his eyes and sank back into the lounge chair. "Sure. Yeah, Steve. I'm fine. "

_**~ End ~**_


End file.
